Pharmaceutically active bicycloheptan-amines, including mecamylamine are useful for the treatment of hypertension in humans, and as ganglion blockers. Mecamylamine reduces blood pressure in both normotensive and hypertensive patients.
Conventionally, mecamylamine has been produced by the reduction of 3-formamidoisocamphane with lithium aluminum hydride. This technique is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,831,027 to Pfister, III, et al. Another method for preparing mecamylamine is discussed in Great Britain Patent No. 856,862 to Lepetit et al. According to this method, mecamylamine is produced from 3-aminoisocamphane.
There remains a need in the art for methods of producing pharmaceutically active bicycloheptan-amines. There remains a need in the art for commercially viable methods of preparing pharmaceutically active bicycloheptan-amines. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new method of preparing pharmaceutically active bicycloheptan-amines such as mecamylamine.